Unless you’ve been under a rock recently you’ll have seen the drummed up story in the media regarding how ‘outrageous’ it is that Manchester City and England player Raheem Sterling has a gun tattoo on his leg. Of course when these things get media attention as resul of a significant media push, it does seem to sucker in a lot of outrage from groups and individuals. The founder of Mothers Against Guns, Lucy Cope had this to say about the tattoo when asked:

“We demand he has the tattoo lasered off or covered up with a different tattoo.

“If he refuses he should be dropped from the England team. He’s supposed to be a role model but chooses to glamorise guns.”

I have a lot of sympathy for any parent whose life has been impacted by gun violence. That being said, the language used here, the demand aspect especially, while understandable is clearly somewhat overboard and presumptuous.

Sterling sought to open up about the matter by stating :  “When I was two my father died from being gunned down to death. I made a promise to myself I would never touch a gun in my lifetime.”

“I shoot with my right foot so it has a deeper meaning.”

So this is clearly an issue close to his heart too, he’s effectively a ‘Son Against Guns’ after suffering tragedy at a young age due to gun violence. Just because he has an image of a gun on his leg, the actual message is far, far from the glamourisation of guns or gun culture.

You’d think that this would be the end of the matter but The Sun newspaper today doubled down and invited the Father of Damilol Taylor, whose son died in a street attack, to speak out against Raheem Sterling and his tattoo.

To me this crosses a line and is such an unnecessary and over the top response and series of events. There is a very real element of exploitation too because of course people who suffered due to violence are going to have issues with guns. To frame it in such a way though and to target a football player whose own Father was shot and killed when he was a child is the lowest of the low.

This isn’t the first time the press and epsecially The Sun have gone after Raheem Sterling. It’s routine and unsettling. There’s debate on social network over whether racism is at play, or a class issue, or just a fixation on England footballers being that we’re so close to the Russia 2018 World Cup, but whatever the reason it’s pitiful and uncalled for if you ask me.

Once seen as ‘The Egyptian Messi’ and then cast off as a ‘Chelsea Reject’, Mohamed Salah has gone through a lot by the age of 2015. He is, though, without doubt, one of the most exciting and clinical players of his generation and, like other stars of today, has proven Chelsea made a major mistake in letting him go!

The clinical Egyptian presently plays for Liverpool FC, where he’s become the fastest player to reach 25 goals in the clubs history. His exceptional quality in front of goal mixes perfectly with his outstanding movement, brilliant team play and tremendous dribbling capacity. He is without doubt among the top talents to watch in a game dominated by forwards.

With Salah, the thing that stands out most isn’t just his prowess in front of his, but his tactical astuteness. He can play in numerous positions and places across the forward line, and often links well with his teammates. At Roma, he was a fine foil for Edin Dzeko and at Liverpool he’s paired perfectly with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

The Egyptian is without doubt one of the most impressive talents aged 25 or under in the world. Having now become one of the top players in the league he was discarded from, Salah has become a go-to example of why a player should never be written off.

A move too soon to Chelsea of London seemed a major obstacle in his trajectory to the top, as did an uncomfortable exit from Fiorentina in a bid to push through his move to AS Roma. Despite these controversies, the shy and humble Egyptian has shown he has the fire and grit to reach his goals and ambitions. Today, he’s feared as among the best forward players in European football

Often, a footballer will be instantly recognisable because of the aptness of their name. Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne – Kevin The Brain in some translations – is as apt as they come. A genius on the ball and one of the most impressive midfield talents in the world, the Belgian is another example that being discarded from Chelsea is often part of the path to long term success!

An incredibly intelligent player, his passing, precision, technique, team work and ability to command the tempo of a game has seen him become one of the most feared playmakers in the game today. He’s rated among his teammates past and present as one of the most exciting players in the world. From his early days with Genk – where he quickly became a star in a rising league – it was obvious he was going to be a major talent.

His move to Chelsea, though, was deemed a waste of time. He was barely given a chance, before loan and permanent moves to Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg took place. In Germany, he got the chance to develop and grow into the superb talent that we all see dominating games for Manchester City today.

His move to City was seen as odd, given he had “failed” previously with Chelsea. His outstanding form for City, though (with 11 goals scored and 15 assists already this season), has quickly seen him become one of the most commonly spoken about players in English and European football.

With a deftness of touch with both feet and an array of passing that’s among the very best in the sport, he’s become akin to Andres Iniesta in the way he dictates the game for manager Pep Guardiola.

Without doubt, De Bruyne has returned from failures and setbacks in his career to establish a club and international career that’s the envy of most.